Grading Hispanic teams at the 2026 FIFA World Cup: One A, two Bs and one F

After more than an unforgettable month of raw emotions, the 2026 World Cup finally came to a close. The edition of the tournament with the most teams in history featured 48 national teams, of which eight were Hispanic. This group traveled to North America with the firm intention of going as far as possible but ended up with mixed results: some of them achieved their goals better than others.

Spain: A+

There's no doubt about it. Spain managed to write a new golden chapter in its history by being crowned champion of the 2026 World Cup, defeating Argentina in a final played at New Yor New Jersey Stadium—MetLife Stadium—on July 19. With a lone goal scored by Ferran Torres, "La Roja" capped off a tournament performance worthy of honors in the best possible way. In North America, the national team led by Luis de la Fuente earned the second star on its crest.

Argentina: C

Argentina got off to an unbeatable start in the tournament, winning all its group-stage matches. However, as the 2026 World Cup progressed, the team encountered problems and faced some nail-biting moments. In each of the knockout rounds, the "Albiceleste" struggled to advance to the next round, except in the semifinals, where they outplayed England. Their goal—to defend the title they won at Qatar 2022—was thwarted, as they were clearly outplayed by Spain. Their final grade: pass.

Mexico: B

The co-hosts gave their country something to dream about. Perfect in the group stage—three wins and not a single goal conceded—Mexico continued in the same vein in the Round of 32, where they sent Ecuador, another of the participating Latin American teams, home. Their World Cup run ended in the Round of 16, where they were eliminated by England after a thrilling match and were cheered on by their fans. "El Tri" left a notable impression.

Paraguay: B

Drawn with the United States in the group stage, Paraguay needed a bit of luck to advance in the tournament: they made it to the knockout stage as one of the best third-place finishers. In the Round of 32, the "Guaraní" team's play changed radically, and they eliminated none other than a four-time champion: Germany. The Paraguayans, with a remarkable performance, went down fighting against France in the round of 16.

Colombia: C

They ended up being eliminated in the cruelest way possible—in a penalty shootout. Even so, more was expected of them. Colombia faced the first phase of the tournament in one of the toughest groups, finishing in first place ahead of Portugal. Their narrow victory over Ghana in the Round of 32, followed by a penalty shootout loss to Switzerland, lowered the "Tricolor's" grade to pass.

Ecuador: C

Like Paraguay, Ecuador advanced to the round of 16 as one of the best third-place finishers in the group stage. It was in that first knockout round that their World Cup run came to an end, as they lost to Mexico. A lack of goals hurt the Ecuadorians at the 2026 World Cup, where they were rated pass.

Uruguay: F

There's no debate: this was one of the biggest disappointments of the 2026 World Cup. Despite having several players with experience in major European leagues, Uruguay failed to win a single match in a group that included two technically and tactically inferior teams—Saudi Arabia and Cape Verde. Furthermore, rumors of a clash between the players and the coach sparked a crisis. Fail.

Panama: C

There was little they could do in a group that included England, Croatia and Ghana. Holding their own was the best Panama could do, earning a pass for their performance.